Actually, for a family of 4, a food stamp allotment is $649 per month. If you're spending $600 and buying organic, I'd say you're doing great. Our budget for two adults and one teenage athlete is pretty similar to yours: $140 per week.

I'm still pretty new to clean eating myself, but I've been planning meals for a long time. The best way I've found to keep leftovers from going to waste is to package them in single-serving containers immediately. That way, they can be easily grabbed for lunches.

Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) publishes a list each year, of the "clean 15" --produce that has lower residues of pesticides and insecticides. The idea is that you can save some bucks by buying those items conventional, and save your organic dollars for the foods that have the highest residues (including red apples and all kinds of salad greens). The Clean 15 list for this year is here: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/clean_fifteen_list.php

Save your money! Don't buy organic!! There is absolutely no health benefit to eating organic fruits and vegetables, and this is confirmed by testing. This is a good summary, and I urge you to pay attention to the potential downsides near the beginning ot the article. When you hear about big food recalls lately, they are all organic, and dangerous pathogens are the reason.

http://health.harvard.edu/blog/organic-food-no-more-nutritious-than-conventionally-grown-food-201209055264

I grow things. I studied horticulture in college and now volunteer with my state's Extension Master Gardener program. I'm not new at this. I also avoid organics like the plague. There is simply no reason to waste your money.

Now, that said, you will find hundreds of websites that tell you organics are healthier. Some of them are laughable. Some of them appear to be reliable. Always always always go with a study from a reputable university.

Frankly, I am far more concerned with pathogens from uncomposted manure than with pesticide residue. That's because I know about pesticide and herbicide safety and that they all break down in sunlight, wash off with rain and become inert in contact with soil. And they are much easier to wash off than the cold or flu viruses from other customers in the store, or e.coli from the manure fertilizers used in the fields. And if you're not sure what mycotoxins are, have a read about them. They can be horrendous and do real longterm neurological damage if you ingest them.

fitmek wrote: »

Wow, thanks Tina! I will have to read this! Do you still purchase grass fed meats though? I'm willing to read up and research on produce, but I believe meats and dairy are something i'll never compromise on. It scares me for my kids!

Grass fed meats? I'm in Kansas. I don't think there's anything else for our cattle to eat! Honestly, I don't pay much attention to the meats because I know the meat department at my grocery store. They carry "big ag" meats, but most of what they sell is local and packaged on site. I don't buy Tyson, Hormel, etc.

As for dairy...I really have no idea. But it always galls me to see food producers hike up prices while marketing their "not-really-super healthy" foods to people who can't afford it. I have a bigger problem with growth hormones in livestock and poultry than I do with antibiotics though. Farmers need to keep their livestock healthy.

Whenever I read articles that say organic produce is more nutritious, I want to grab hold of the publisher and strangle him or her. It's just a pack of misinformation, and it actually keeps many people from eating healthier.

Joy, we fed raw to two dogs for 12 years. Good for you! It does cost more, but it's the healthiest for them. We feed a good premium food now because we have two different dogs and their food prep and cost just wore me down.

tinascar2015 wrote: »

Joy, we fed raw to two dogs for 12 years. Good for you! It does cost more, but it's the healthiest for them. We feed a good premium food now because we have two different dogs and their food prep and cost just wore me down.

The food prep does take a long time but once i got into the swing of it it is ok. We have just takenhim on a camping holiday and stuck to his diet. He is worth it. To begin with though I really struggled to know what to give him. The children are far more difficult to feed as they are so fussy.

4 adults and 2 kids (3&5), I cook ALL our meals no exceptions. We spend $800-$1200/mo. We stay away from GMOs and round up ready corn. We are GF, DF and mostly grain free. We hunt deer and stock the freezer full but do get a good amount pork and chicken from the store.

Buying in bulk saves a lot of money by buying through Zaycon Foods, Bountiful Baskets & other "clubs". You can also special order bulk produce through most grocery stores. We buy all our Cashew Milk, apples, grapefruit and a handful of other stuff bulk via specialty order from our local grocer. Saves us an additional 20-30%.


We buy a lot of stuff local too and we tend to stay away from highly processed meats and foods.

The way I control the bill is by limiting our meat consumption! We buy organic/free-range meat, so we 1) Don't eat it every meal, and 2) When we do eat meat, it's a small part of a meal, not the main part.

I also found that I save a lot by pre-making morning shakes (thank you, Pinterest!). Rather than buying fresh produce for the shakes, I buy it frozen in bulk at Costco. I use quart-sized freezer bags and make individual portions (minus the liquid). That way it's cheaper, ready to go in the morning, and we can take a break from them if we get tired of it without wasting food!